Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon's new battery-powered Blink security cameras promise to last 4 years
Thanks to an optional battery pack, Blink's latest indoor and outdoor cameras are designed to last longer than ever.
Blink has two new home security cameras.
Amazon announced two new additions to its lineup of home security cameras in early September -- the Blink Indoor Wireless Security Camera and the Blink Outdoor Wireless Security Camera. Both models are available for preorder now, with shipping starting Sept. 16.
Blink began on Kickstarter with its inaugural product, the HD home monitoring and alert system. Its reasonable price and battery-powered design had a lot of promise, but there were a lot of issues with that camera when I reviewed it back in 2016. In my list of negatives on the top of the review, I said, "Blink doesn't currently support two-way talk, audio alerts, third-party integrations, on-demand recording, local storage, arm/disarm scheduling, in-app rules or other common features."
Then, in December 2017, Amazon announced its purchase of the startup, followed by a couple of new, affordable security cameras -- the Blink XT2 and the Blink Mini. Both cameras showed marked improvements over the original, especially the battery-powered outdoor XT2, which I've been testing for over a year now to see how long its battery actually lasts. (So far, it's still going strong.)
Blink's new Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Security Camera promise to continue the brand's top selling points -- low prices and long-term battery life. The indoor model starts at $80 for a one-camera kit, including a required Blink Sync Module 2; the outdoor version starts at $100 for the same one-camera system with a Sync Module 2.
Additional indoor cameras not part of a bundled kit with a Sync Module 2 cost $70; standalone outdoor models cost $90. Unlike Blink's previous devices that came with free cloud storage, however, these new cameras have a subscription model for anyone who wants to use cloud storage.
Like Ring, Arlo and other major security brands, Blink's cloud storage plan starts at $3 per month. If you don't want to pay the fee you can store your footage locally using a USB flash drive (not included) with your Sync Module 2.
While I'm disappointed Blink is introducing a cloud storage plan, the company is adding one intriguing accessory into the mix -- a $30 Battery Expansion Pack that's supposed to take each camera's expected two-year battery life up to four. If true, that would be pretty awesome, but it won't work with the XT2 or other older Blink cams. I'm tracking down Blink Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Security Camera for testing, so check back soon for full reviews.
